Gifts from Above...& Down the Road

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! We still have a long way to go, but every gift we receive helps immensely. If anyone has any questions regarding this adoption we are happy to talk with you about it. I think the more people that learn about the process the better (and trust me, it is a PROCESS!). Blessings for your day!

The Letter (sounds serious doesn't it?)

Just so we're all on the same page...the purpose of our letter was three-fold:

1. To let people know of something very important going on in our family - we are excited about this adoption and hope that others will be excited for us.
2. To encourage our family and friends (and anyone else for that matter) to support this adoption financially if they are able to and feel led to do so. Seriously, every bit helps whether it's $5.00 or $100.00.
3. To get you all to pray, pray, and pray some more for this to all come together.

Luckily we are leaving this all up to Him to figure out. We know in our hearts He has a plan for our family and we will just have to be patient and wait for it to be revealed in His perfect time (upon saying that I think you'll need to pray for patience for us too). Blessings!

I'm Invisible

I read this on http://ourhaitianjourney.blogspot.com/ and loved it! Enjoy...

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm onthe phone?" Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude -but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter.

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything. A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees." I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become." At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I 'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there." As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

People Pleasing...

Jeff and I listened to a message the other day on the Walk in the Word website called "People Pleasing". It gave us a lot to think about and we had a great discussion after it was done. So often we go through life wondering what this person will think or that person will think...it is a vicious cycle that drains a lot of energy & time and it is a battle that can't be won (there is simply no way to please everyone). I think this really applied to us because we often wonder what people will think of us adopting a child. The verse James referred to was from 1 Corinthians 4:3-5 (The Message version).

It matters very little to me what you think of me, even less where I rank in popular opinion. I don't even rank myself. Comparisons in these matters are pointless. I'm not aware of anything that would disqualify me from being a good guide for you, but that doesn't mean much. The Master makes that judgment.
So don't get ahead of the Master and jump to conclusions with your judgments before all the evidence is in. When he comes, he will bring out in the open and place in evidence all kinds of things we never even dreamed of—inner motives and purposes and prayers. Only then will any one of us get to hear the "Well done!" of God.

In the end all that will matter is that we be examined by the Lord. When the time comes we will not be able to give excuses...He knows our heart. Live today for Him...you can't go wrong! Special thanks to Susan for her supportive and enthusiastic phone call. It was a blessing!

So Here We Are Again...

Once again the summer fades into the distance and fall is upon us. Not that we don't have a lot of beautiful sun filled days left, but with school starting tomorrow it is a reminder that summer's days are indeed numbered. We went for a walk tonight to Griese Park - the kids were thrilled. School starts tomorrow - which is both good & bad. I will miss the carefree evenings without set bedtimes. I will miss the relaxed pace of summer days. Don't get me wrong, there have been a couple of times that I was wishing school was here. You know, on those days when they fought a lot and there was too much to do and not enough time to get it all done. All in all we did have a good summer - especially since we were neither moving (last like summer) or pregnant (the summer before). Jeff and I feel sorry for the kids having to go back to school. We both remember the dread of our last day of freedom before summer vacation ended. This too shall pass and soon we will be back into our "routine" (do we have one of those???). All is good and God's blessings are indeed evident in our home. Today we are praying for a peaceful transition back to school for all involved parties.